Reps Query NSDC Over Sugar Import Figures, Levy Remittances

The House of Representatives Committee on Finance has raised concerns over discrepancies in data on sugar imported into the country and the revenue generated from the sector.

The Chairman of the committee James Faleke, questioned the figures during an ongoing revenue monitoring exercise covering the 2023–2025 fiscal years when the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, Kamar Bakrin, appeared before lawmakers.

Faleke said the figures presented by the council might not accurately reflect the actual volume of sugar entering Nigeria, warning that inaccurate data could undermine government revenue tracking.

Bakrin told lawmakers that the council does not directly collect revenue from sugar imports, but instead the Nigeria Customs Service is responsible for collecting sugar levies at ports and remitting them into government accounts.

According to him, the council’s role is largely regulatory, hence, companies seeking to import raw sugar must obtain licences issued following recommendations by the council based on their compliance with sector regulations.

Bakrin said the recommendations are then transmitted through the supervising ministry to the president for final approval.

He added that about two million metric tonnes of raw sugar importation were approved within the period under review.

Bakrin said the council funds its operations through a portion of the sugar levy collected by customs and released periodically by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation in line with appropriations approved by the National Assembly.

However, Faleke urged the council to develop a more reliable mechanism to verify the actual volume of sugar entering the country.

He warned that relying solely on figures provided by customs could lead to discrepancies and potential revenue losses.

The lawmaker called for stronger coordination between the council and relevant agencies to ensure transparency and accurate data management.

Meanwhile, the committee also directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to submit detailed information on Nigeria’s oil assets and equity participation in oil wells.

Faleke asked the company’s financial controller, Tajudeen Karim, to provide a breakdown of all oil wells in which Nigeria has equity participation, including those under joint ventures, production sharing agreements and wholly owned assets.

The committee also requested production figures and Nigeria’s share from each asset.

Lawmakers said the exercise is part of the National Assembly’s oversight role to ensure transparency and proper remittance of revenues into the federation account.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji